Follower-block mounting



To all whom imag/concern.'

`sheets or reference cards.

the sheets or cards contained therein.

Patented Feb. 5,* 1924.

` iran sraras l 1,482,532 Parana* orricn;

` VHARRY L. ATKINSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

` FOLLOIVER-BLOCK MOUNTING.

Application iiledfB/Iarch 14, 1923. Serial No. 624,943.

Be it known that I, HARRY Il. A'rKrNson. a citizen of the. UnitedStates, residing-at the city and county of San'Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Follower-BlockMountings, of'whichV the following is a speci vthat they may be 'easilyselected and referred Prior to my invention devices for this pur- Ipose, especially in the larger size iile drawers,

have not proven entirely satisfactory as they easily become out of orderand do notrmly 'hold a quantity of sheets or cards in proper position.Vvi ,i .i

Therefore, it is theprincipal object of the present invention to providea generally improved and simplified mounting` for folA lowers of filingcabinet drawers which will be efficient in operation and which willpermit the follower to be expeditiously adjusted longitudinally of thedrawer and be firmly secured in any desired position.

In carrying out this object, I provide a file cabinet drawer with aguideway formed longitudinally along its bottom. A pair of guide members.are mounted in this guideway and connected with the bottom of thefollower by a link mechanism whereby when the follower israised, itsposition may be adjusted longitudinally along the guideway.

and when the follower is released, its weight automatically extends theguide members to frictionally engage the sides of the guideway andfirmly hold the follower in position.

One form which the vinvention may assume is exemplified in the followingdescription and illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of ale cabinet drawer and follower with the preferred form of my inventionapv plied thereto, with the followermo'unting disclosed as firmlyholding the follower in place.

Fig. 2 is asimilar view disclosing the mounting in a position permittingthe follower `to be moved longitudinally of the drawer.

Fig.y 3 is a perspective view of the mounting disclosing itsconstruction.

Fig. 4i is a perspective view of one ofthe guidemembers. f

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates ailing cabinet drawer of suitable proportions land vequipped withtheusual follower plate 1l.

The bottom of the drawer is longitudinally* slotted as at 12 and fittedwith a channeled member 15%. This member is somewhat wider than the slot12 and is secured to the bottom of the drawer in alignment with theslot. The portions of the bottom of the drawer at the sides of the slotoverhang the sides of channeled member as at 415 thereby forming ayguideway 16.

Mounted in the guideway is a pair of guide members 16a comprisinglongitudinal guide rails 17 andtransverse lugs 1S.' The latter projectinwardly towardl eachother as 'shown in yFigs. 1 and 2; l The lugs-18Vare piv'otalliT connected to links 19 which in turn pivotallyconnect with a frame bar 20. The top Of this bar is rigidly connected tothe bottomK flange 21 of the follower plate 11.

The links 19 are of such a length that when the follower is inengagement with the bottom of the drawer, the rails 17 of the guidemembers frictionally engage the sides of the guidewayl and firmly clampthe follower in position. However, as the rails cannot be movedvertically, due to the formation of the guideway, when the follower israised, the links 19 act to draw the guide rails toward eachother anddiscontinue the fric.- tionafl engagement between them and the sides ofthe guideway. The follower may then be adjusted longitudinally of thedrawer and thereafter clamped in place by merely releasing it. Theweight of the follower spreads the guide members and forces them intofrictional engagement with the sides of the guideway. Y

As the guide rails 17 are quite long and as-there is a irm connectionbetween them and the follower, the latter will be firmly held in a setposition. In this position, the

CTI

mechanism is locked and, as the thrust of the contents is lengthwise ofthe drawer and that of the locking device'iscrosswise, the followercannot be dislodged by the contents when the drawer is opened andclosed.

In operation, if it is desired to adjust the position of the follower,it is raised to release the engagement of the mounting with the guidewayandthen moved longitudinally of the drawer to the desired position. Thefollower is then released, its weight automatically causing the rails 17to Spread and forcing them into frictional engagement with the sides ofthe guideway to clamp the follower in position.

From the foregoing it is obvious that a very simple and inexpensivefollower mounting is provided which will be positive in operation andwhich will not easily become out of order. f l

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to beunderstood that various changes in its construction may be i .madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Pat ent is l. In combination with a tiling receptacle, afollower mounted therein, a gnideway in the bottom of the receptacle, afollower Vmounting in said gnidewayr and connected to the follower, saidmounting operable by vertical movement of the follower to clamp thefollower to the bottom of the receptacle or release it to permit it tobe longitudinally adjusted therein. y

2. In combination with a filing receptacle having a follower therein, aguideway formed longitudinally'y along the bottom of the receptacle, anexpansible follower mounting in said guideway and connected to thefollower, said mounting operable by verticalmovement of the follower toexpand and engage the sides of the guideway to clamp the follower inposition or to contract to permit the follower to be longitudinallyadjusted in the receptacle.

3. In combination with a filing receptacle having a follower therein, aguideway in the bottom of -said receptacle, a pair of guide memberstherein, a link connection between said members and the follower wherebyvertical movement of the follower will affect the position of saidmembers relative to the sides of the guideway for the purpose described.L

4C. Inl combination with a filing receptacle having a follower therein,a guideway in the bottom of said receptacle parallel to the line oftravel of the follower, a pair of guide members in said guidewaypositioned lone adjacent to each side thereof, a link connection betweenthe said members and the follower whereby vertical movement of thelatter will affect the relative positions of the guide members, saidguideway being formedy to prevent vertical movement of said rguidemembers whereby downward movement of the follower will spread` Vtheguide members and cause themY to vengage the sides ofthe guideway andclamp the follower in position and upward movement of the follower drawsaid guide members toward each other to release the follower to permititto be adjusted in the receptacle.

' HARRY L. ATKINSON.

